Chapter 66: Jia Shu is missing!
There wasn't a sound in the small living room. It was the faint sound of footsteps coming from downstairs that woke Qin Qiao. Her eyelids felt heavy, as if glued shut, and she felt dizzy and weak, like she had a bad cold.
As she sat up, the sofa creaked softly. Qin Qiao turned her head to look out the window; the sky was still dark, and the eastern sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
Chen Jiashu went into the guest room last night, thinking he would come back, so she sat here to wait, but she fell asleep in a daze.
She listened intently, but there was no sound from the next room. After a moment's thought, Qin Qiao lowered her numb legs, stood up, and went straight to find Chen Jiashu.
She knocked on the door perfunctorily, but there was no response. Her hand tightened on the doorknob, and she immediately pushed it open inwards.
The guest bedroom has a simple layout with no complicated furnishings. The 1.8-meter-long bed against the east wall faces the door, and the bathroom is next to the TV cabinet with the sliding door open.
The blankets, pillows, and sheets were all neatly made, without a trace of anyone having slept in them. She clearly heard noises coming from the guest room last night; had he left again?
A strong sense of unease and sorrow surged forth like a tidal wave.
Qin Qiao immediately turned around and quickly walked out of the room. Just as she reached the door, a loud "bang" came from the study diagonally opposite, which was particularly clear in the silence.
Her heart tightened, and she rushed over and pushed open the door.
Chen Jiashu stood in front of the bookshelf, his arm raised, searching for something in the top shelf, seemingly oblivious to the sounds outside. The white light shone on his tall figure, making his silhouette appear clear and solitary.
“Jia Shu”.
Qin Qiao rushed to his side, almost stepping on the open "Company Law" book on the ground, which was as thick as a Xinhua Dictionary.
Chen Jiashu paused, then slowly turned halfway around. His long lashes framed deep, dark eyes, and his lips were pressed together in an almost cold manner.
"What are you looking for?" she asked, somewhat uneasy.
"Did you see the medicine?" His tone was icy.
She looked up and stared into his deep pupils, her slightly taut jawline revealing a hint of coldness.
"Don't look at me like that... Yoshiki, we're husband and wife."
"Give me some time, I'll adjust as soon as possible." Chen Jiashu lowered his eyes and negotiated with her, "Give me the medicine, okay?"
The car accident that killed his parents was a huge blow to Chen Jiashu. He was used to swallowing all his bitterness alone and always pretending to be fine in front of others.
Therefore, when Zhang Shuang told her, she wasn't particularly surprised; she felt more sorry for the man. After that, whenever she noticed Chen Jiashu showing signs of depression, she would tell him about things at school or at the station to cheer him up. Sometimes she would take him out to see a movie or go shopping, in short, not giving him much alone time outside of work.
For at least three years, under her watchful eye, Chen Jiashu's depression did not relapse.
"Have you been eating this often these past few years?" Qin Qiao asked instead of answering.
A hint of tenderness softened in Chen Jiashu's eyes, and he slightly raised the corners of his mouth: "Occasionally."
But in her opinion, this forced smile was very deliberate.
Qin Qiao smiled and said softly, "...I can give it to you now, but don't eat it next time, okay?"
Chen Jiashu hummed in agreement.
"Shall we take the kids to the park on Sunday?" Qin Qiao asked.
He replied, "Okay."
The man's double eyelids had two deep creases, and his eyes were long and narrow. His long eyelashes concealed his deep-colored eyes, like a frozen lake at night, but they were not necessarily calm and undisturbed.
A thought struck Qin Qiao, and she tiptoed to lightly peck at his eyelid. When she regained her footing and looked again, his eyes flickered, finally losing their composure. When words failed her, this clumsy method was the only thing she could think of.
Chen Jiashu smiled, his facial muscles relaxing considerably: "Stop fooling around, I'm leaving for H City right away."
"I'll go get the medicine for you right now, just wait here."
After saying that, Qin Qiao walked out with light steps.
Chen Jiashu took the pills in the car before swallowing them. Perhaps because he had drunk some porridge in the morning, the pills made him feel very full. He didn't think much of it and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes to rest.
The one-and-a-half-hour drive brought him to the conference center at 10 a.m., at which point his upper abdomen began to ache slightly. As he got out of the car, Chairman Ling, who had been waiting at the entrance, came up to him and shook his right hand firmly.
"Chairman Chen, welcome, welcome..."
Chen Jiashu took a deep breath, suppressing his abdominal discomfort: "Congratulations to the Ling Group on its enduring success and continued prosperity."
Today is the 40th anniversary of the Ling Group. The usually serious chairman's face was full of smiles and glowed with health. Assistant Ye smiled slightly at the chairman and guided Chen Jiashu deeper into the conference center.
Zhu Ao arrived half an hour early. He waited in the center of the lobby and saw Chen Jiashu walk in. He immediately strode over to greet him.
“Jia Shu,” Zhu Ao walked to Chen Jia Shu’s side and then turned around neatly to walk alongside him.
Chen Jiashu continued walking, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear: "I've reviewed the press conference plan. The core is to highlight our own strengths. Remove all comparisons with our competitors."
“Chairman Chen,” Assistant Ye whispered a reminder. “There’s a step about 20 centimeters high, half a meter away, leading to the elevator.”
Chen Jiashu nodded slightly.
"I'll have my colleagues in the marketing department revise it again."
At every new product launch event of the group, Zhu Ao would stand on the stage with a prepared speech and deliver it to the partners.
With his cane lightly touching the bottom of the steps, Chen Jiashu stepped onto the platform without hesitation and continued walking forward without stopping.
On the way back, the weather turned bad, with dark clouds pressing down on the sky and a cool raindrop in the breeze.
As the car accelerated above 80 km/h, the raindrops on the windshield became increasingly dense, and the wipers began to move frequently. After driving for more than ten kilometers on the elevated road, the car encountered the usual traffic jams and could only move slowly, stopping and starting.
When Xiao Jun observes the road conditions through the rearview mirror, his peripheral vision always unconsciously sweeps over Chen Jiashu in the back seat.
He leaned back in his chair, his head slightly lowered, his slender eyes gently closed, and his long, thick, black eyelashes pressed against his lower eyelids, trembling almost imperceptibly, not at all like someone who was asleep.
Suddenly, Chen Jiashu's lips moved slightly. Xiao Jun's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked away, only to find that the car in front had already pulled away by more than ten meters. Fortunately, no vehicles were changing lanes or cutting in front of them across the double solid lines, and no one was honking or urging them on from behind. He glanced discreetly at the right-side rearview mirror; Ye Zhu, in the passenger seat, was engrossed in his work, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
"Come on, let Mom feed you."
"...Qiaoqiao was sick herself but still drove you to the airport."
"I've treated you with my whole heart, but how have you repaid me?"
"Was it Chen Jiashu who made you break ties with me?!"
Those voices again. As soon as he fell asleep, Yang Shuhua's face and words followed him like a shadow, haunting Chen Jiashu's mind.
Suddenly, a sour, pungent smell mixed with a spicy sensation rushed to his throat. Chen Jiashu sat up abruptly, his eyes wide, and he covered his mouth with one hand, forcibly suppressing the churning acid in his throat: "Stop the car!"
Parking is not allowed on city elevated roads. Xiao Jun glanced back and reported with difficulty, "Chairman Chen, we're still on the elevated road."
Ye Zhu suddenly turned around and saw that Chen Jiashu's face was pale and his forehead was covered with fine sweat.
"Chairman Chen!" he said nervously.
Chen Jiashu leaned back heavily in his seat, unable to sit still. A violent spasm surged in his stomach, causing him to curl up in pain, cold sweat instantly soaking the back of his shirt.
"Didn't you hear me tell you to stop the car?!"
Extreme physical discomfort made Chen Jiashu extremely irritable. He unbuttoned a collar button and breathed heavily.
Xiao Jun had no choice but to comply and drove off the elevated road at the nearest exit. After driving for about a kilometer, he turned onto a side road leading to a building and slowly pulled over to the side of the road.
This is a main road running from south to north, with unidentified trees planted on both sides. Occasionally, a vehicle drives by, its wheels kicking up scattered yellow leaves.
As soon as the car came to a stop, Ye Zhu got out and opened the back door. Just as his hand touched the door frame, Chen Jiashu rushed out of the car, stood at the door, bent over, and violently retched, but only vomited some acidic fluid.
Xiao Jun hurriedly ran forward and handed the bottled water to Chen Jiashu: "Chairman Chen, water."
Chen Jiashu straightened up, and a violent ringing in his ears exploded deep in his cochlea, like the sound of an electric drill at a construction site, irritating every nerve. Yang Shuhua's voice finally disappeared from his ears, and all the sounds around him seemed to come through thick, soundproof glass, ethereal and distant, making him feel as if he were in a dream.
He slowly turned his face, looking around at the shadows of trees, passing cars, and the blurry outlines of tall buildings... For a moment, he didn't know where he was.
Is this really not a dream?
His previously unfocused gaze sharpened again, a glimmer of light appearing, as if the thick fog that had been clogging his mind had been blown away by a cold wind brushing against his cheek.
He mechanically raised his hand, unscrewed the bottle cap, and gulped down about half of it, his prominent Adam's apple bobbing rapidly up and down.
"Jiashu!"
Ye Zhu saw Zhu Ao running towards them and immediately stepped aside.
The man's brows were furrowed, his face filled with concern and worry, and the hem of his black coat fluttered in the wind as he ran.
"What's going on?" Zhu Ao grabbed Chen Jiashu's arm and looked at the other two.
Ye Zhu was about to speak.
Chen Jiashu raised his hand and gently pushed Zhu Ao's hand away: "He probably ate something bad this morning, but he's fine now. Let's go back to the company."
Seeing the sickly flush on his pale face, Zhu Ao was filled with worry, but knowing Chen Jiashu's decisive nature, he had no choice but to swallow back the words "go to the hospital" that were already on his lips.
At the impromptu executive meeting held in the evening, Chen Jiashu was completely out of sorts.
"Our total GMV across all channels this quarter reached 1.87 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12%. Online sales accounted for over 45% for the first time..." Sales Director T paused, noticing Chen Jiashu's dark expression, then looked away, swiping the screen to focus on the bar chart. "This growth is mainly due to the strong traffic contribution from emerging channels such as short videos..."
The executives in attendance whispered amongst themselves, and Zhu Ao and Tian Jiayue exchanged a glance before Zhu Ao immediately raised his hand to make a pause gesture: "The meeting is on a 20-minute break. Please take a break."
The executives left in an orderly fashion. Chen Jiashu, leaning on his white cane, got up and quickly walked towards the restroom.
The door slowly closed. Tian Jiayue looked away with concern and whispered to Zhu Ao, "Brother, did he eat something bad?"
Zhu Ao's gaze was fixed on the door panel: "He's been acting strangely all day. We've all witnessed Jia Shu's ability to remember everything he hears. When the event ended this afternoon, several familiar old Dongs came over to greet him, but he didn't react at all... Luckily, Xiao Ye is quick-witted."
Inside the bathroom, Chen Jiashu knelt on the ground, gripping the edge of the toilet with both hands, his wrist bones protruding and the veins on the back of his hands bulging.
A series of sharp, cramping pains shot through my stomach, and Yang Shuhua's words, "You don't deserve it," echoed repeatedly in my ears.
Beads of cold sweat rolled down his forehead from the pain, his body curled up and trembled uncontrollably, and he made hoarse retching sounds, but nothing came out.
Chen Jiashu struggled to sit up, his eyes welling up with tears from vomiting.
The automatic sensor flushes the toilet again.
Chen Jiashu stood in front of the mirror, motionless as if frozen. After a while, he bent down and turned on the tap.
The tap water gushed down, and he first washed his face, then his hands, and finally put them under the hand dryer. All the steps were done in an orderly manner.
"Jiashu, are you alright?" Zhu Ao asked worriedly from outside the door.
"It's nothing." His voice was extremely hoarse.
Chen Jiashu reached out and made vague marks on the wall, searching for his white cane.
My fingertip accidentally knocked it over.
With a "thud," the white cane rolled to the ground and hit the tip of his shoe.
He bent down to pick it up. Just as he was about to stand up, a strong wave of dizziness hit him, and he staggered backward, his side slamming heavily against the sink. A sharp pain instantly shot up his spine and rushed to the top of his head.
Chen Jiashu braced himself against the table with his hands, finally unable to hold back, and let out a painful groan from his throat.
The next second, darkness suddenly descended, blinding him. Like a marionette with its strings cut, all support was removed, and he collapsed and slid to the ground along the cold sink.
*
Consciousness floated in the long darkness, sometimes sinking to the bottom, sometimes hovering. Finally, a savage will forcefully tore off those shackles. Chen Jiashu took a deep breath, like a drowning person surfacing, regaining control of his body, and suddenly opened his eyes.
In the blurry vision, a stark white light seeped in.
"Where am I..." he murmured unconsciously.
His fingers twitched slightly, touching the softness of the fabric beneath.
It's a bed sheet.
He slowly moved his hand and touched the firm mattress beneath him, as well as the cool metal railing on one side.
Hospital?
When Yang Shuhua's voice finally disappeared from the depths of his cochlea, he felt a little relieved, but the next moment, he felt something was wrong: his ears felt like they were completely blocked by something, heavy and muffled, much like the pressure and isolation he felt when he accidentally fell into the water as a child and the river water poured into his eardrums.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, as if we were in a vacuum.
He turned his head blankly, and in his blurry vision, a slender, light yellow figure came to the bedside, the outline of which looked a lot like Tian Jiayue.
"elder brother!"
Tian Jiayue called out several times, but the person on the bed just kept their eyes open and didn't respond.
Just as her voice trembled, his eyelashes finally fluttered, and his gaze slowly focused on her face.
"You're finally awake."
Zhu Ao, who was on the phone outside, heard that Chen Jiashu had woken up and immediately came in, stopping beside Tian Jiayue.
"Jiashu, you just fainted and you're in the hospital now." Zhu Ao gripped the hot fuselage tightly as he met Chen Jiashu's slowly approaching gaze.
“Zhu Ao…” Chen Jiashu said with a hint of uncertainty.
Tian Jiayue stepped back, and Zhu Ao stepped forward and bent down: "The doctor said it's probably because you've been overworked lately, there's nothing wrong with you."
Chen Jiashu's thin lips moved slightly: "Are you talking to me?" He seemed to see Zhu Ao's lips moving.
These words stunned Zhu Ao and Tian Jiayue. They exchanged a glance, and Tian Jiayue suddenly understood, her eyes instantly filling with tears.
"Jiashu!"
Zhu Ao raised his voice several decibels: "Can you hear me!"
Chen Jiashu's expression tightened. He propped himself up and pressed his hands to his ears. He looked up, a rare look of panic on his face, and his voice changed: "I can't hear! Go get the doctor!"
Zhu Ao ran out to call the doctor. Chen Jiashu raised his hand, waved it twice in the air, and his knuckles touched Tian Jiayue's arm. He grabbed it tightly and said, "Don't tell Qin Qiao! Understand?"
After completing a series of checks, it was already dark outside.
Qin Qiao called again, and Zhu Ao answered, only briefly replying, "Jia Shu is in a meeting and won't be back tonight."
Chen Jiashu's meaning.
After reviewing several test reports, the doctor gave a diagnosis: "Based on the reports, no organic lesions were found. The hearing loss is likely caused by psychological factors."
Zhu Ao's eyes flickered. He typed out the doctor's words on his phone and sent them to Chen Jiashu.
With the phone's font size set to maximum, Chen Jiashu pressed his right eye almost against the screen, trying to decipher the words as they were strung together.
Chen Jiashu read it aloud in his mind.
Tian Jiayue stood to the side, her fists clenched tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably.
After reading the message, Chen Jiashu leaned back, unsure whether he should feel fortunate.
The psychologist who treated him back then said he was "refusing to see the cruel reality." So... now he's refusing to hear Yang Shuhua's voice? Long-term illness makes one a good doctor; he can even diagnose himself now.
“Just tell everyone I need to rest and recuperate; there’s no need to explain the details.” Chen Jiashu looked at Zhu Ao with a firm tone: “I need a week.”
Zhu Ao nodded emphatically.
Tian Jiayue bit her lower lip until it turned white before nodding.
*
The following day, as the sun set, its gentle afterglow bathed the entire city. Countless car roofs shimmered with vibrant orange light, like ribbons of pulsating light.
On the way to Dongxin Hospital, Chen Jiashu instructed Xiaojun to take a detour to Donglingyuan.
His parents' ashes are placed there.
Although they were not divorced, their relationship had long since broken down, and the grandmother firmly opposed burying them together because the mother had grabbed the steering wheel and caused a car accident years ago. Ultimately, the two lived separately.
Chen Jiashu stood silently at his father's grave for over an hour before being led by Xiaojun to his mother's grave. This time, he told Xiaojun to go down the mountain first and wait for further instructions.
Located in the eastern suburbs, about 20 to 30 kilometers from the city center, Dongling Cemetery is nestled against the mountains and beside the water, and has a history of over 50 years. The facilities within the cemetery are somewhat outdated, and the burial plots were fully booked as early as ten years ago. Chen Jiashu has come here every year and has personally witnessed the tombstones and steps gradually fading and becoming mottled under the wind and rain.
On his way up the mountain, he stepped on several broken and slightly wobbly stone steps. It's not that the area is unmanaged, but such "minor problems" are often not repaired immediately.
It's not a high-end cemetery after all.
Chen Jiashu had considered moving his parents elsewhere, but his relatives kindly reminded him that this was against the old custom, so he had to give up the idea.
He crouched down, leaned forward, and gently stroked his mother's tombstone, his fingertips finally stopping on the character "Yan": "Mom, I often think, if you hadn't stayed with Dad for my sake, would your life have been very different?"
A strong gust of wind brushed against my cheek, like a mother's response.
“If you weren’t still so young, I would have divorced your father long ago.”
Her father cheated on her while she was pregnant, yet she gritted her teeth and lived with him for seventeen years because of him. From then on, they argued constantly, big and small, even during the New Year. At first, he would try to comfort her, cry, and get angry, but later, he became numb.
"You always say that! For my sake, for my sake... Have you ever considered that I don't want to hear any of this!"
It was this sentence that completely extinguished the mother's will to live.
This was also his last conversation with his mother.
The following day, on the way back from visiting relatives, the parents had another heated argument. In anger and despair, the mother grabbed the steering wheel, causing the speeding car to lose control and crash into the guardrail, resulting in a fatal accident. He, however, survived because he was wearing a seatbelt and was sitting in the back seat.
“Jiashu…” Qin Qiao’s voice was like a ray of warm light, shining into his cold heart.
"It's all my fault..."
“No, Chen Jiashu is not wrong.” She said firmly.
What should I do?
"First, forgive your seventeen-year-old self."
Chen Jiashu withdrew his finger, stepped back and sat down on the ground, looking up at the dim yellow halo above his head.
He could feel a slight warmth in it.
*
The last message on the phone screen remained Chen Jiashu's reply at noon:
[have eaten. ]
Qin Qiao leaned back in her chair, holding her phone, and glanced at the time in the upper left corner.
18:36.
After a two-second delay, Qin Qiao looked up and gazed out the window.
Night had already fallen, and high-rise buildings stood all around, their cool-toned windows and icy blue curtain walls blending with the colors of neon, creating a vast, floating mist of light.
Is he coming back today?
Qin Qiao lowered her eyes, her thumb hovering above the screen, pondering whether to make a phone call or send a text message.
Yang Shuhua's actions caused him immense harm, going beyond the level of forgiveness. If Yang Shuhua's actions were a knife plunged into his chest, then her "conspiracy" was rubbing salt into his bleeding wound.
She knew this would require a long-term "treatment" process, and she would gradually make up for it.
Before the phone could even be put down from his palm, it suddenly rang.
What was flashing on the screen was Zhu Ao's number.
She had barely opened her mouth when Zhu Ao interrupted her with a heavy, urgent voice:
"Jia Shu is missing."
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